Former WWE star CM Punk recently signed with the UFC, and more than a few people have been critical of the move. Punk has left open the possibility that he could get his ass kicked, and many feel that’s exactly what is going to happen.
Ben Askren has been one of the most vocal critics of Dana White’s decision to sign Punk. Askren said earlier this week that he believes the UFC is turning from a sport back into a “spectacle.”
“…You can’t really expect that a 36-year-old man who’s got no combat sports experience is going to come into the UFC and be effective,” Askren said, via Nate Wilcox of Bloody Elbow. “I mean it’s simply to sell pay per views.”
Askren, who is a perfect 14-0 in his MMA career and is the current ONE FC Welterweight Champion, said Brock Lesnar transitioning from WWE to UFC was different because of Lesnar’s wrestling background.
As you might expect, White refuted the notion that the Punk signing was nothing more than a publicity stunt.
“The thing is with Ben Askren is that Ben Askren doesn’t really want to fight here, in my opinion,” White told Matt Parrino of UFC.com. “People that are close to him say the same thing. The guy is making a ton of money to fight nobodies, but when you talk and you say a lot of things it keeps your name out there. Trust me when I tell you this, Ben Askren does not want to fight in the UFC. Believe me when I tell you that.”
In other words, White feels that Askren is criticizing the Punk signing for being a publicity move just so Ben can get some publicity for himself. Complicated stuff, huh?
If Punk gets dominated (and it is not going to be by this guy, unfortunately), the signing will look pretty lame — no matter how White tries to spin it.
H/T MMA Fighting
